This story was updated in January 2019.
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No, you haven’t landed on a wrong article. Neither have we made a technical error here. If you think about it, relationships are, in fact, like a mutual fund. The only difference is that in relationships, the investments are more emotional than financial. Although, if you really think about it, there is also a second difference – relationships don’t come with an offer document (unless your boyfriend is Sheldon Lee Cooper). Similarly – both are subject to risk. But, boy, would it be great if they did come with a document or a guide, you know, to minimise the risk.
Well, what if we told you that it can actually happen?
Wondering if your man is in it for the long run? We know that sometimes it can get a little difficult to read between the lines so we have something that can help you crack this one. If he makes an effort to do most of these 50 things, then congratulations, he is The One.
You won’t see a sign of flinch or discomfort on his face whenever the topic of ‘the future’ or ‘where do you see this relationship going’ comes up. In fact, he might just surprise you with an answer which definitely won’t be, ‘let’s take this one day at a time’.
No successful relationship can be smooth-sailing without an effort from both parties. By noticing that something is bothering you and simply asking, ‘Hey, what’s wrong? Do you want to talk?’ is effort enough. Whether it is after a long day at work or on a Sunday morning, he tries his best at all times, no matter what.
No two people are the same. Some interests are bound to clash at some point of time. You may love to dance, he may just be the most shy person in the world; he may love to play basketball and you may not be an athletic person. But if he makes an effort to know the things you like, trust me, he wants to dance all his dances with you.
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Whether he is staying in for a book he has been waiting to read or going out to play snooker with his friends, he’ll want to tell you about it. Not just that, he would also like to know about your plans for the day.
If you are feeling low, he will do everything in his will to make you laugh because he can’t stand to see you upset. The moment a smile comes through, his day is made.
You often find a random ‘I love you’ slip into conversations. He cares about you and never misses an opportunity to tell you how amazing you are.
He might take some time to introduce you to them but that only means he is sure about you. He arranges group hangouts and house parties so you all get to spend fun time together and get to know each other better. It’s all about chemistry, now, isn’t it?
Speaking of things getting serious, he is not afraid to take the next leap. In fact, he is eager to make you meet his family and have the most important people in his life bond.
He shows up with a Garfield cushion, because he remembers how much you love reading the comic strip. From the perfume you love to how your eyes sparkle every time you get excited. Not just that, he recalls things you have talked about in the past, proving that he genuinely listens to you.
Like cooking a meal together, buying groceries, starting a new TV show or just helping you decide what to wear for the wedding you have to attend.
He encourages you to talk and wants everything out on the table. If you are not talking enough, he wants to get to the bottom of things and resolve them. He doesn’t want a communication gap creating problems between you two. He would rather expose the wound than keep things bottled up.
To further Sign 9, he doesn’t faze out when you are talking. He listens to your problems and tries to genuinely help you out. For him, it isn’t just about the good times, he is ready to handle the tough as well.
Because let’s be honest, what you think really matters to him. If he’s in it for the long run, he would want to know your opinion on matters that affect you, directly or indirectly.
If he screws up, he owns up to it like a gentleman and doesn’t let his ego get in the way. Best part? He actually means it when he apologizes.
He fights with you because all couples do, but he makes sure that you don’t sleep over it. He wants your relationship to get stronger with each day and he isn’t afraid of confrontation because you can always work as partners to get around it.
Now that is a BIG deal!
Even about the things that may make you feel uncomfortable. He knows that transparency and honesty are the core of a healthy relationship.
He refers to himself as ‘we’ in all his future scenarios. He hopes that you would want to be with him too and if the future holds different things for you, he plans to find a way to work things out.
Making time for you comes naturally to him. If needed, he won’t think twice before excusing himself from another appointment. Never busy for his babe!
And this feeling won’t fade away even after months. You can tell.
You > Work, friends, video games, Instagram
This one I am telling from personal experience. It has been one and a half years and not a single day has gone by without a ‘good morning’ text from him in my notifications. It becomes a habit. Fights or a rough patch don’t change habits.
I know I’m being too specific here but if you want to go shopping, he is always ready. Also, he goes a step ahead and helps you pick out the right things.
Being on the same page conversation-wise is important; it’s exactly what everyone is hoping to find. He can sit and talk for hours about life or simply a movie he saw yesterday that hit him hard. Deep and meaningful conversations show that he feels comfortable with you to discuss anything and everything. And the same goes for you. That’s good news!
For the majority time you spend together, his phone will be in his pocket or on the side table.
He wants to have everything out in the open about his past so you know what you are getting into and he can make sure that you are okay about it. He wants to start the relationship on a clean slate and conscience.
And he never lets you complain about call backs either.
He is nothing if not a man of his words. He never cancels dates and he always keeps his word. He proves that you matter to him by always seeing you when he says that he will.
And some days, he just surprises you with a yummy bowl of your favourite dish. These sweet, romantic gestures say a lot about him. Just like pasta, a lot of ingredients and effort goes into a relationship. He’s showing off his culinary skills here why – because he wants to impress you. Now, there’s something old-fashioned and charming about that.
Even if you are going to see each other the next day – because, without a hug, the day is incomplete. Some days, a kiss on the forehead makes a special appearance, if not every day.
He doesn’t grope you in public but instead, sneaks in a peck. Instead, he takes his time because he wants to find the right moment to make the kiss, every kiss, perfect. Sounds like a movie? That’s about right!
Respect is one of the most important things in any relationship, something that separates the good guys from the wrong ones. He never makes you feel disrespected or unheard or ignored. Now, that’s a grown up relationship.
Speaking of important things in a relationship, here’s one that tops the list – trust. He tells you to trust your instincts and gives you your freedom and space in the relationship because he has faith in you. He believes you can differentiate right from the wrong. Even when he can’t take a decision, he comes to you to take it for him. But building trust takes time. And he is in no hurry to get there because he sees this going somewhere good and far.
You can be sure that he wants a long-term relationship with you when you never have to second guess his intentions and feelings. Do you? We thought so! Things are always straightforward and clear and that’s true from the first date that you go on with him.
We have all been in relationships that once they got over, made us feel free and liberated like a bird. These relationships are toxic that leave you with low self-esteem and nothing more than that.
But with this guy, everything feels positive. He makes you feel like you are smart, funny, independent, and worthy of everything and anything that you want. In fact, he inspires you and motivates you – something that should definitely be a mutual thing for the relationship to work out in the long run.
First of all, date nights keep getting scarce as the relationship progresses. Not a long-term one, though. To keep things just as exciting as the initial days of the relationship (or what we call ‘The Honeymoon Period’), he never says goodbye without setting up another date. And now you know that you both want the same thing.
His compliments are not always on your physical appearance. He compliments you on how smart you are, how amazing your work ethic is, how easy it is for you to make him laugh. It says that he likes who you are and not just what you look like. He is proud of you and shows this admiration in the form of the nice little things he says about you.
He makes it obvious and he never hides it. He tells you how he feels. He texts you a lot. He wants to see you a lot. He misses you when you are not there and lets you know that he does.
Apart from a hug and a kiss on the forehead, you always go home with a ‘text me when you reach home’ remark after a goodbye. And God forbid, you forget to text him one day! The amount of worry in his voice is directly proportional to the commitment he wants to make to you.
This one’s in retrospect to Sign 26. If he tells you all about his past, he wants to know yours too. In fact, if you are some months into the relationship, this conversation has already taken place between you two. If you are new, wait for it, it’s coming.
Gone are the days of relationship status updates. But posting pictures on social media is still a big step towards a serious commitment. He likes to show you off to the world. It’s the digital media’s own version of saying ‘you are permanent’ to hundreds of people at once. This may not be a necessary stage but it’s a big deal!
You don’t have to rub your love on social media to show that you have found someone, no one cares. But a picture with you – ‘he cares’ is written all over it, baby.
That’s relationship lingo for a serious boyfriend who is not jerking you around and is ready to take things to the next step.
If he does all the above things, at this point, it is pretty much clear what he wants and where he sees this going, amirite? It’s not just about quality, he wants to spend quality and quantity time with you. The more, the better.
He tells you what he wants to do in life, the kind of house he wants to live in, etc. etc. In fact, he asks you about your life goals and tries to align them to his. Jackpot!
Whether it is a family issue, a professional problem or period cramps, he understands, takes them seriously and tries to help you because he doesn’t want you to take so much stress alone.
All it takes is, ‘How was your day?’ and he will tell you all about it down to every detail. And he asks you about yours too. It’s all about give-and-take.
This only means that he cares about you enough to get bothered. But even then, he doesn’t get carried away. He tells you when he feels insecure and talks to you about it instead of jumping to conclusions.
He doesn’t think that now that you are going out with him, his work is done. That’s a part of Sign 20 – he doesn’t take you for granted. He tries new things to keep the relationship alive and fun and never ceases an opportunity to impress you. In fact, he creates them to keep things interesting. It can be as simple as writing you a letter instead of a text.
When he says something, he doesn’t say it for himself. ‘I’ becomes ‘we’ and through a series sacrifices that you both make for the relationship, at the end of the day, it is ‘us’ that he thinks about.
When you are with a guy who wants something long-term, he’s going to tell you, and more than that, he’s absolutely going to initiate that discussion. Did he? Did he do that already? Well, there you go.
Hold onto him, ladies. He’s a keeper.
GIFs: Giphy, Tumblr, Tenor
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